‘After almost annihilating the world, our relatives are allies’: the thrilling podcast from JFK and Nikita Khrushchev’s relatives.

During the month of October 1962, the world edged nearer to destruction more so than ever in recent history. This occurred following the discovery that an American surveillance plane identified the fact that Russian nuclear missile bases were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles off the coast of American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK ordered the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet to enact a naval blockade encircling the island. The next phase was nearly 14 days filled with unbearable anxiety.

The Unthinkable Danger

The peril was clear. Should Kennedy, or his Soviet counterpart, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a cascade involving worldwide nuclear strikes followed by retaliatory strikes might have ensued, thrusting mankind toward total ruination.

The Cuban missile crisis has been covered endlessly, in volumes, films, as well as television programmes. But, for its third season, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb presents a novel dimension into this historical narrative. It is co-presented featuring Kennedy's relative alongside Nina Khrushcheva, family members of the figures that, for 13 days, held the destiny of the planet within their grasp.

"What was the Russians planning? What was Washington considering?" asks Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and an academic of global relations.

In her view, the beauty of the podcast lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do people detest one another to the point they confront each other?"

"It was not lost on me how profound it is that individuals can be allies or can become complete enemies," remarks Kennedy, son of RFK, nephew of JFK and currently an author and lawyer. "History shows this dynamic repeatedly in instances where countries have gone to war, highlighting the profound irrationality involved to engage in warfare."

A Precipice Towards Disaster

What is notable about this event was that, because it transpired so publicly, individuals worldwide could watch almost as it happened as it crept towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the risk of destruction was more imminent than what most people understood at the time.

"Almost all officials among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike followed by an invasion," explains Max Kennedy. "Had the U.S. attacked the Cubans with the Sixth Fleet, there is no question Soviet forces on the ground would have fired a nuclear warhead against the US Sixth Fleet, which would've sunk the aircraft carriers and destroyed our primary fleet. And, we would have retaliated with massive retaliation which would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The reality it didn’t highlights the composure of both leaders, who succeeded in exercise restraint while engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements in their governments demanded military action. Consequently, The Soviet premier removed the missiles in the Caribbean island and Kennedy (although not reported then) withdrew his missiles based in NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was worldwide, matched by the sense of optimism.

A Different Perspective

Yet, during those two weeks in October, the fear was felt globally. The Bomb’s co-hosts came into the world shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different narrative of what happened.

"As you mentioned your father recalls it, describing it as a scary time," she says. "However in the Soviet Union, people were largely unaware that much regarding the crisis, since it was a crisis, whereas in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly fine or positive."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was distinct. "They told me what a great occasion it was, as it represented a direct confrontation. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus didn’t start a global war, which was a positive thing," she adds. Later on, however, that perspective was not held by all Russians. "For a long time in Russian politics, it was considered a failure for Khrushchev, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

This podcast is remarkably even-handed and well produced that Nina quips it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, partly, due to contributions from renowned scholars. Yet, really, the most significant thing is the involvement of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable for relatives of the leaders of America and USSR would appear side by side. That Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"We aren't the pioneers," smiles Nina. "After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, my uncle Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with Dwight Eisenhower’s children."

"However we had never met before the podcast," clarifies Kennedy. "That is unfortunate because we connected really well and now we’re friends, something that is really great. Ultimately, following nearly six decades of nearly annihilating the world, our families have become friends, suggesting global relations is more secure, a little bit."

Modern Echoes with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb feels so necessary is that we once again find ourselves in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to catastrophe in its history, in part because today's statesmen appear not to have the capacity to grasp